Heated muff hand exerciser



Oct 17, 1967 E. M. RIGLER HEATED MUFF HAND EXERCISER Filed April 19, 1965 iNVENTOR ERNEST M. RIGLER United States Patent Ofiice 3,347,240 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 3,347,240 HEATED MUFF HAND EXERCISER Ernest M. Rigler, 1717 144th St., White Rock, British Columbia, Canada Filed Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 449,164 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-363) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand exerciser having a heated hand and arm enclosing muff provided with a heated resiliently kneadable handgrip interiorally thereof.

This invention relates to exercising apparatus, specifically apparatus for exercising an individuals hand.

The therapeutic quality of heat used in association with the exercising of the body, particularly in the exercising of the appendages thereof, is well known. It is appreciated that devices have heretofore been devised to take advantage of this fact. However, these devices, in the main have usually been of unwieldly size, and are of relatively expensive construction. Such draw-backs have consequently resulted in their being infrequently used.

The present invention provides an exercising apparatus of the above type, particularly adapted for the exercising of the human hand which, however, is of slight bulk, is light, and thereby easily portable and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

The present invention also provides an exerciser which not only maintains the hand or arm in heated surroundings, but which provides a heated hand-contacting exercising element for applying heat directly to the hand as it is exercised.

The present invention comprises an elongated hand muff open at one end and closed at the other, said muff comprising an elongated thermo-conductive inner shell and an outer thermo-insulating cover encasing said shell, a heat generator located between the shell and cover adjacent the closed end of the muff so as to heat said shell, and a resiliently compressible handgrip located inside the muff adjacent the latters closed end.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the invention with portions thereof being partially removed to permits its various components thereof to be more readily viewed, and

FIGURE 2 is a section of the apparatus taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the exerciser herein accorded the numeral 10, is in the form of a muff, of ,a size and length suitable to enclose the individuals hand and a portion of his forearm. Thus muff is formed of an inner tubular shell 12, said shell being of rigid construction and preferably made of a material having low thermoconductive properties, such as fibreboard. This shell is of a length and has an inside diameter sufiicient to loosely accept the hand and arm of the individual wishing to take exercise.

An elongated metallic pin or shaft 14 extends transversely of the shell through the walls 16 thereof, the ends 17 of said shaft being peened against the outer surface of the shell. This metallic pin or shaft, which is located near one end 18 of the shell, serves ,as a rigid support for a resiliently compressible handgrip 19. It is intended that this grip shall serve as the exercising media, that is, that it shall be sufficiently soft so as to permit the fingers of the hand to per-form a kneading action. It is preferred that said grip shall be made of soft rubber which not only permits the above-mentioned finger action, but also serves as an electr-o-insulative cover over the metallic pin or shaft 14.

The shell 12 is heated by means of an electric heating coil 21 which is wrapped therearound adjacent its end 18, at least one of the turns of the coil overlying and being in contact with the peened ends 17 of said metallic pin 14. This coil is connected in any suitable manner to a source of electric power, not shown.

In order to prevent excessive heat loss and to protect the individual desiring exercise from direct contact with the heating coils, the shell and coils are enclosed in an insulating sleeve or cover 23, this sleeve or cover is preferably made of a soft fibrous material and is drawn over the end 18 of the shell and sewn or tied to effectively close the latter.

In the use of the exerciser, it will be appreciated that the hand and arm of the individual taking the exercise will be maintained during the exercise in .a body of warm air and at the same time the fingers of the hand engaged with the handgrip will receive heat directly therefrom, said grip being heated by the metallic pin or shaft 14 which conducts the heat directly from the electrical heating coil 21.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Exercising apparatus comprising an elongated rnufi open at one end and closed at the other, said muff comprising a rigid elongated thermo-conductive inner shell and an outer thermo-insulating cover encasing said shell, a heat generator located between the shell and cover adjacent the closed end of the muff so as to heat said shell, a resiliently compressible handgrip located inside the muff adjacent the closed end of the latter, and a heat conductive element having a high coeflicient of thermo-conductivity extending through the walls of the shell and being in direct association with both the heat generator and handgrip so as to conduct the heat from the former to the latter.

2. Exercising apparatus comprising an elongated hand muff open at one end and closed at the other, said muff comprising an elongated thermo-conductive inner shell and an outer thermo-insulating cover encasing said shell, electric heating coils connectable to a source of electric power wrapped about the shell beneath the cover so as to heat said shell, said coils being located adjacent the closed end of the muff, .a shaft formed of a highly thermo-conductive material extending transversely through the shell adjacent the closed end of the muff and contacting the heating coils so as to be heated thereby, and a resilient rubber handgrip encasing the shaft so as to be heated by the latter.

3. Exercising apparatus comprising an elongated hand muff open at one end and closed at the other, said muff comprising an elongated thermo-conductive inner shell formed of a material having a low coefficient of thermocondnctivity, and an outer thermo-insulating cover encasing said shell, electric heating coils connectable to .a source of electric power wrapped about the shell beneath the cover so as to heat said shell, said coils being located adjacent the closed end of the muff, a shaft formed of a highly thermo-conductive material extending transversely through the shell adjacent the closed end of the muff and contacting the heating coils so as to be heated thereby, and a resilient rubber handgrip encasing the shaft so as to be heated by the latter.

4. Exercising apparatus comprising an elongated hand muff open at one end and closed at the other, said muff comprising .an elongated thermo-conductive inner shell and an outer thermo-insulating cover encasing said shell, 21 heat generator located between the shell and cover so as to heat said shell, 21 resiliently compressible handgrip located inside the muff, and a heat conductive element having a high coefiicient of thermo-conductivity extending through the walls of the shell and being in direct association with both the heat generator and handgrip so as to 10 conduct the heatfrom the former to the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,826 7/1902 Randall 128362 1,110,494 9/1919 Kellogg 128-375 1,280,857 10/1918 Ruiter l2811 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. EXERCISING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MUFF OPEN AT ONE END AND CLOSED AT THE OTHER, SAID MUFF COMPRISING A RIGID ELONGATED THERMO-CONDUCTIVE INNER SHELL AND AN OUTER THERMO-INSULATING COVER ENCASING SAID SHELL, A HEAT GENERATOR LOCATED BETWEEN THE SHELL AND COVER ADJACENT THE CLOSED END OF THE MUFF SO AS TO HEAT SAID SHELL, A RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE HANDGRIP LOCATED INSIDE THE MUFF ADJACENT THE CLOSED END OF THE LATTER, AND A HEAT CONDUCTIVE ELEMENT HAVING A HIGH COEFFICIENT OF THERMO-CONDUCTIVITY EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE SHELL AND BEING IN DIRECT ASSOCIATION WITH BOTH THE HEAT GENERATOR AND HANDGRIP SO AS TO CONDUCT THE HEAT FROM THE FORMER TO THE LATTER. 